G. Alexander Heard
Encyclopedia
George Alexander Heard was chancellor
of Vanderbilt University
from 1963 to 1982. He was also a political scientist
and adviser to U.S. presidents
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, and Richard Milhous Nixon.
from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and master's degree
and Ph.D.
from Columbia University
, all in political science, Heard received 27 honorary degrees, including degrees from Johns Hopkins University
and Bard College
.
Among his scholarly contributions, Heard in 1952 published A Two-Party South?, in which he predicted the transformation of the southern United States
from one-party Democratic
allegiance to two-party Democratic-Republican
rivalry. At the time the Republican Party was virtually nonexistent in much of the South.
On May 8, 1970, Heard was appointed "Special Adviser on the Academic Community and the Young" by President Nixon. During his career at Vanderbilt, Heard was offered the presidency of other institutions including Columbia University
, but consistently declined, returning to Vanderbilt.
Along with his wife Jean, Alexander Heard is the eponym of Vanderbilt's Jean and Alexander Heard Library, and the university, annually since 1982, has given a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional understanding of contemporary society the Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor Award.
He was a staunch defender of the open forum, in a period of great social and political discontent, earning the respect of the students. He defended what he saw as the "students' and faculty's [right] to invite to the campus speakers of all political persuasions in an effort to better understand their views". As a result of this view many controversial figures spoke at Vanderbilt, most notably the civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.
and an advocate of black supremacy
, Stokely Carmichael
. Controversy engulfed Heard for Carmichael’s invitation, yet he remained calm and staunchly supportive of his action, saying that "the university’s obligation is not to protect students from ideas, but rather to expose them to ideas, and to help make them capable of handling and, hopefully, having ideas." This approach to leading the school along with what Heard called the university’s willingness to "alter and adjust its way of doing things, including its system of internal governance, in order to create a harmonious and productive educational community" allowed the university to endure the external pressure and resulting internal strife that many other academic institutions suffered greatly from.
Heard will also be remembered for the many positive additions he made to Vanderbilt. He increased the curricular options through the acquisition of the George Peabody College and the establishments of the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, the Blair School of Music
and, the Owen Graduate School of Management
. He also doubled enrollment, increased the annual budget, and recruited many new professors, distinguished for excellence both as teachers and as researchers.
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
from 1963 to 1982. He was also a political scientist
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and adviser to U.S. presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, and Richard Milhous Nixon.
Biography
In addition to his bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, all in political science, Heard received 27 honorary degrees, including degrees from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
and Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
.
Among his scholarly contributions, Heard in 1952 published A Two-Party South?, in which he predicted the transformation of the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
from one-party Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
allegiance to two-party Democratic-Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
rivalry. At the time the Republican Party was virtually nonexistent in much of the South.
On May 8, 1970, Heard was appointed "Special Adviser on the Academic Community and the Young" by President Nixon. During his career at Vanderbilt, Heard was offered the presidency of other institutions including Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, but consistently declined, returning to Vanderbilt.
Along with his wife Jean, Alexander Heard is the eponym of Vanderbilt's Jean and Alexander Heard Library, and the university, annually since 1982, has given a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional understanding of contemporary society the Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor Award.
Vanderbilt tenure
Heard was appointed as Chancellor of Vanderbilt University in 1963 during a time when many university administrators where confronting much internal strife and division in their respective institutions. Vanderbilt was a calm center of stability when seen against the backdrop of the rioting, vandalism, and violent protesting which had become the norm at other universities. From early on in his administration, it became clear that Heard was not a conventional Chancellor. He held quiet frequent meetings with student leaders, even some of the university’s most radical elements.He was a staunch defender of the open forum, in a period of great social and political discontent, earning the respect of the students. He defended what he saw as the "students' and faculty's [right] to invite to the campus speakers of all political persuasions in an effort to better understand their views". As a result of this view many controversial figures spoke at Vanderbilt, most notably the civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
and an advocate of black supremacy
Black supremacy
The term black supremacy is a blanket term for various ideologies which hold that black people are superior to people of other races.-Overview:...
, Stokely Carmichael
Stokely Carmichael
Kwame Ture , also known as Stokely Carmichael, was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. He rose to prominence first as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party...
. Controversy engulfed Heard for Carmichael’s invitation, yet he remained calm and staunchly supportive of his action, saying that "the university’s obligation is not to protect students from ideas, but rather to expose them to ideas, and to help make them capable of handling and, hopefully, having ideas." This approach to leading the school along with what Heard called the university’s willingness to "alter and adjust its way of doing things, including its system of internal governance, in order to create a harmonious and productive educational community" allowed the university to endure the external pressure and resulting internal strife that many other academic institutions suffered greatly from.
Heard will also be remembered for the many positive additions he made to Vanderbilt. He increased the curricular options through the acquisition of the George Peabody College and the establishments of the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, the Blair School of Music
Blair School of Music
The Blair School of Music provides undergraduate conservatory-style education in music performance, theory, and history at Vanderbilt University, a major research university located in Nashville, Tennessee...
and, the Owen Graduate School of Management
Owen Graduate School of Management
The Owen Graduate School of Management is the graduate business school of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1969, Owen awards six degrees: a standard 2-year Master of Business Administration , an Executive MBA, a master's of finance, a master's of accountancy, a HealthCare...
. He also doubled enrollment, increased the annual budget, and recruited many new professors, distinguished for excellence both as teachers and as researchers.